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Selva Lee Tucker 
Posts: 634 Since: 5/25/2008
|  12/14/2008 10:57:33 AM  are not paid
simply put, installers are told the finishing production of carpet is done on site before stretch in by applying seam sealer, yet manufacturers do not put bottles of seam sealer with the rolls....so, installers must pay the final production cost for the mills?
Installers are told to correct, like the one Roger posted, mills' problems or as they say, issues, yet, they are not employees of the mills paid to do those corrections, and when in fact the mills are contacted and agree, they insist upon setting the "installers rates determined by regional average rates,,,,now how would they know that? that bears "pondering".
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Roland Thompson 
Posts: 281 Since: 2/27/2008
|  12/14/2008 8:58:30 PM 
I agree we as installers pick up lots of stuff for the mills. But so do many other trades, look at the dry wall people they have to fix bad dry wall and then go on,so do wall paper hangers and I could go on. So what I am saying is as an installer we need to know what it cost us to do our job and set our pricing to make a living.
FD
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Roger Gerber 
Posts: 327 Since: 3/17/2008
|  12/14/2008 9:41:46 PM 
And that is sooo true Roland, but that also means that for every job or particularly every different retailer you would have a different price. One price does not cover it all. Yet that is what most shops want you to believe, just give us a low-ball price and then git-er done.
On other boards there have been many discussions between retailers and installers, and it seems that they can never agree.
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Stephen Perrera 
Posts: 823 Since: 5/27/2008

|  12/15/2008 10:46:03 AM 
Oh please, comparing drywall to carpet installation??? Throw some friggin mud on it and be done with it Roland.
Paper hangers would be closer. But it's a little simpler to send back a roll or two of paper if the pattern is off rather than some thousand pound roll of carpet. Where all the furniture is outside or moved and house torn apart.
All I see from them...mills and movers and shakers is endless bull$hit about making tighter installation standards for us but dang near nothing about better manufacturing tolerances.
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Roland Thompson 
Posts: 281 Since: 2/27/2008
|  12/15/2008 1:08:42 PM 
I knew that would fire you up. My point is we have been doing this for a long time and things have never changed, so it is up to you being a buiessness person to know your cost of doing your job and then charge a fair price to feed your family and turn a profit. FD
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Stephen Perrera 
Posts: 823 Since: 5/27/2008

|  12/15/2008 2:37:12 PM 
Roland, how is one to foresee getting a srewed up piece of carpet? Does your company roll out every roll and check for bow, skew and match before sending it out?
Last Edited 12/15/2008 2:37:46 PM
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Roland Thompson 
Posts: 281 Since: 2/27/2008
|  12/15/2008 6:04:05 PM 
Yes, Our warehouse man roll's and precuts every pc by hand for every job. He checks for flaw's and if there is somthing wrong he go's over cut sheet and looks to see if job can be worked out. He also write's on back of carpet ( or any product ) what he found. If it can not be worked out a new pc is ordered.
FD
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Stephen Perrera 
Posts: 823 Since: 5/27/2008

|  12/15/2008 10:07:05 PM 
Thats great, can I work for you? Your one outa a million that does that I bet.
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Roland Thompson 
Posts: 281 Since: 2/27/2008
|  12/15/2008 10:38:58 PM 
We bought him a cutting machine a few years back and he would not use it, ( so we sold it ) said he did not trust it and he could not see the whole carpet. We then bought him a stand up cutter and he would not use it,still chaulk lines and cuts with the loop pile cutter like he has been doing for 35 years. His trainee for 7 years is made to do it the same way.
FD
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Roger Gerber 
Posts: 327 Since: 3/17/2008
|  12/15/2008 11:17:02 PM 
We have a local C1 here that does the same thing. They open, vacuum, THEN inspect each piece before cutting the job to size. They use to do a fair amount of builder business but they have lost almost all of that to price. They have gone from 20 crews loading out each day to maybe 4-5. The grandsons of the original owners install ceramic and hardwood, both have branched out for lack of work.
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Barry Carlton 
Posts: 162 Since: 6/30/2008

|  12/16/2008 12:31:01 AM 
Sadly, in this case, not all C1 stores are the same. There are 2 here neither go to this needed added effort.
b
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Roland Thompson 
Posts: 281 Since: 2/27/2008
|  12/16/2008 12:38:48 AM 
It is sad, but each C1 is owned and run on its own. It is a C-OP that helps them get the right pricing but they can not tell them how to run their crews. They do offer best practice mannuels but can not make then follow it. We are a local firm that has been here for 78 years and quality is a big part of us.
FD
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Rusty Baker 
Posts: 111 Since: 6/7/2008
|  12/16/2008 7:51:50 AM 
I have worked for our local C1. They don't even unwrap a roll until they cut to load. Cuts that come in are loaded as-is.
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John Draper 
Posts: 76 Since: 10/29/2007

|  12/22/2008 4:04:54 PM 
quote: Yes, Our warehouse man roll's and precuts every pc by hand for every job. He checks for flaw's and if there is somthing wrong he go's over cut sheet and looks to see if job can be worked out. He also write's on back of carpet ( or any product ) what he found. If it can not be worked out a new pc is ordered.
Wow can I work for you I have never seen a store here do that and now the install price is going down.
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Stephen Perrera 
Posts: 823 Since: 5/27/2008

|  12/22/2008 5:36:11 PM 
I just got underbid by a CFI guy. Consumer calls and asks for quote over phone. 250 yds, new const. Heck, I am slow so I fugure what da het. Threw her a bid bought the same a most stores chg around town. Told her I was a bonerfied R-II D-II, she says s"o is my other guy and he is cert'd too. Just checking around, good bye."
Screw it. I hate crapet installers.
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Selva Lee Tucker 
Posts: 634 Since: 5/25/2008
|  12/22/2008 11:15:53 PM 
business is business, but, the attitude by many is, "I am only looking out for myself" same with inspectors, associations and schools,,,,
divide and conquer, fragment the industry to keep the guys down.
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